


Can't Start A Fire Without A Spark

by nothinbuttherain (beyondtherubicon)



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-18
Updated: 2011-11-18
Packaged: 2017-10-26 06:11:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/279618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyondtherubicon/pseuds/nothinbuttherain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Sabaceanbabe for the Pyramid of Dreams Fic Exchange. Prompt was "dancing in the moonlight". The story is set between Resistance and The Farm and there are few between episode fill in the blanks more fun than that one. Title is courtesy of The Boss because I’m awful at coming up with them on my own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Start A Fire Without A Spark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sabaceanbabe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabaceanbabe/gifts).



When Kara finally tuned back in to what Sam was saying she was relieved that she hadn’t totally lost the thread of their conversation even with what little sense it currently made to her. It hadn’t been her intention to ignore him but there’d been an earlier pause in the conversation and that was all the evening breeze needed to catch her attention. Few things caused Kara to feel sentimental and wind had never been one of them but as they sat on the hood of one of the Jeeps there was that overpowering feel of being home that she couldn’t ignore. The air smelled different and little outside of her old apartment carried any strong mark of the Caprica that had been her home but when that moment came and took her by surprise everything felt just a little bit more like something she could handle than anything had in a very long time.

So of course she tuned back in to Sam talking about dance lessons and she had to blink a few times before any sort of proper response came to her. When she turned to look at him Kara noticed that at some point it had gotten too dark outside for them to clearly see each other’s face. The breeze or fatigue or something else was clearly to blame for her realization that she’d quickly grown to enjoy looking at his face. Not that it wasn’t a very nice face but lounging on cars while a nice to look at, top rated Pyramid champ tried to sell some BS story about the C-Bucs secret practice techniques was not exactly what she’d come here for.

“Your coach did not make you all take ballroom dancing lessons.”

Sam responded with a laugh and Kara could feel their eyes meeting as his head turned even if she couldn’t quite see it.

“I swear to you he did. He gave us this whole lecture about how it would improve everything from our stamina to our reflexes and then he signed us all up. The whole team went three times a week for five months. “

A smile flashed across Kara’s face though she quickly managed to grow just somber enough to get in her next jab. “You guys had a really bad season that year so I’m thinking your coach pulled a fast one over on all of you.”

“That had nothing to do with our dancing. It was the injuries and the trades that did us in.”

She wanted to continue the debate but Sam’s statement was a true one and Kara was still enough of a fan to feel a lingering remorse over how hard that season had been for everyone from the players to the fans of the C-Bucs.

“Did you at least become good dancers?”

From the start they’d been sitting a little closer than necessary on the wide hood of the Jeep. It hadn’t bothered Kara but she did notice when the thin area of space that ran from their shoulders to their fingertips grew thinner. From the moment they stepped on to the Pyramid court the progression of the day felt as if it was leading up to something more than friendly but Kara held steadfast in her determination to curb as many natural impulses as possible that might encourage that progression. Any other time in any other place and Sam Anders would have been the best kind of distraction possible. So when the clouds rolled back from the moon enough for her to see the smile full of promise that spread all the way across his face and up into those eyes of his that she enjoyed looking at a little too much the tension between them grew noticeably more awkward.

“Can’t speak for the rest of the team but I got really good at it.”

Kara predicated the next step a split second before it happened and it was just enough time to allow her to climb down and step away from Sam and the jeep just as he climbed down and extended his arm out towards where she would have stood if this was something she was in the mood to encourage. They exchanged a look but the signals on both ends were mixed enough that they began to speak at the exact same time.

“I could show you – I mean I’m not saying it became a big hobby of mine but it’s not that bad –“

“I should find Helo and get some sleep. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow-“

The slump of Sam’s shoulders made the frown already on Kara’s face deepen. There was no desire on her part to make this uncomfortable which is why her goodnight needed to be brief. Because while she really didn’t want to dance she did want to stay but if her current mood held a few moments longer than the practical reasons to depart his company would win out over all the more desirable reasons to let the night keep taking them somewhere more intimate.

"Scared I’ll kick your ass at the two-step?”

All the promise had gone out of Sam’s smile and it was obviously forced but Kara still reciprocated with a weak smile of her own.

“Good night, Sam.”

“You don’t have to-“

But she had already started to walk away and didn’t stop walking until she found Helo and the cot he had procured for her next to his. They said little as Kara removed everything but her tank top and pants before crawling into her cot and for a few seconds it seemed like she’d be able to get some sleep and carry on with business as usual in the morning. But her head had barely hit the pillow when she heard Helo turn towards her and whisper, “Didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”

“Where the frak else could I be?” Her eyes shot open and if Helo had been able to see her scowl he’d have known that she knew exactly where he was going with this.

“Saw you with –Anders earlier and you guys looked like you were having a good time.”

“Frak off. We played a game of Pyramid and then we talked. What? You think I needed to come all the way to Caprica just to get some ass?”

That elicited a laugh out of him but the conversation didn’t die like she hoped it would.

“No but it did look like you were enjoying yourself for the first time in a long time.”

It was all misplaced anger that caused the next part to happen and while Kara would take her time apologizing for it she knew how wrong she was even as she acted. She sat up in her cot and slammed her feet on the floor as she leaned over until her face was uncomfortably close to Helo’s.

“You don’t know what the frak I’ve been up to because you’ve been here acting like a frakking idiot. Take this with as much offense as you want but you’re the last frakking person in the universe I’d take any sort of romantic advice from right now.”

Helo flinched back from that but didn’t seem inclined to respond in any way. Kara stood up from her cot and threw her boots back on before stomping off with no further comment. She barely made it into the next room before the regret over her words hit. Helo was a frakking idiot but they needed to be on each other’s side right now. She needed some cool off time before she apologized so she walked in an angry daze until she found herself back on the Pyramid court. It didn’t surprise her as much as it should have that Sam was still out there throwing practice balls into one of the nets.

“Can’t sleep?”  
Sam turned with a smart and didn’t look entirely happy to see that it was Kara who had asked a question.

“Just wanted to get some practice in.”

“You going to win back Caprica by challenging the toasters to a Pyramid game?”

He stalked over to her and didn’t stop until his face loomed down directly over hers.

“Aim is aim. I don’t want to stand around and shoot a gun off in the middle of the night but I can keep my arm in shape and my eyes in focus by running Pyramid drills. And since I’m still a little too worked up by how you just walked away from me before to actually be able to go to my bed and get the sleep I need I figured it’s a good time to practice.”

She rolled her eyes at the accusation that this was all her fault. “I’m a frakking awful dancer.”

“But that’s not why you walked away.”

His statement ended with a sigh that bled into the one she started her response with. “We are getting way too worked up over what isn’t going to be more than one night.”

Sam’s hand found the curve of her waist just above her hip and his other grabbed hold of one of hers. “So we dance for a few minutes and I get to keep my bragging rights in on the Pyramid court and on the dance floor until I die on this sorry planet. “

“Sam -“ Kara had no intention of letting him or anyone else at the school die on Caprica but he was shuffling closer to her and the mood quickly didn’t seem very conducive to discussing fatality rates. They moved in a slow rhythm and Kara fell into it with an ease that shocked her. As if he could read her mind Sam tilted his head until his mouth was next to her ear and whispered, “See? I’m guessing you’re more than just a little good at the piloting thing since you got yourself here so you’ve got the skills already. You can change course quickly and gracefully, follow, lead and pay attention to what the person closest to you is doing.”

At some point Kara’s arm had snaked around Sam’s waist and she gave him a playful squeeze. “Fine, another point to Anders. But what if I don’t feel like dancing.”

“What do you feel like doing?”

As much as Kara enjoyed the feel of his face pressed against the side of hers she pulled away just far enough to look up at him. “Do I need to spell it out? Don’t make me pull out any of my dumb Pyramid jock jokes. Is there anywhere besides this very public setting we could go?”

Their hands unlocked and Sam immediately wrapped his free arm around Kara’s waist. Both his arms cradled her in a way that usually made Kara uncomfortable but any desire to escape this kind of situation had disappeared. She was happy to enjoy the feel of him and hope for a positive answer to her question.

“Yeah, my bunk mates are both on patrol tonight.”

With that she disentangled herself and signaled for him to lead the way.

“I’m warning you, Anders. You may have your whole Pyramid, dance master thing going on but I’m still about to blow your mind.”

“You really think you can beat me at this?”

They had reached the door but there was enough moonlight still left shining down on him that none of the wickedness in her smile was diminished.

“Without even breaking a sweat though I still plan on doing that.”


End file.
